When you think of agility, you may think of athletes like soccer players or hurdlers. But agility is a conditioning tool that can benefit anyone, regardless of age or activity level. Agility training can help you get more out of your workouts by improving your coordination, balance, and speed. It can also help you stay injury-free by strengthening your muscles and joints.
Agility training can help us pivot more quickly in both the physical and mental realms. This type of training can be beneficial whether you are an athlete, weekend warrior, or anywhere in between.
The definition of agility is “the ability to move quickly and change direction with ease”. As we get older or ease into our daily routines, our mental and physical agility can take a back seat.
Here are three reasons you should incorporate agility training into your fitness routine:
Improve body movement and awareness with agility training.
Agility training is often used in conditioning for a variety of sport-specific skills. But you do not need to be a competitive athlete to receive the benefits.
Agility training improves dynamic balance. Dynamic balance is the ability to maintain control of a moving center of mass over a changing base of support.
It is not only great for improving skills at things like trail running, but also helps elder adults. Improved agility and dynamic balance will keep them functionally independent longer.
Coordination drills can enhance reactivity, helping you to move faster in almost everything you do. Agility training can help improve movement skill and coordination for adults (and children!) of all ages.
Increase the number of muscles engaged in your workout.
Controlling the body’s ability to make multiple changes of direction and frequent changes of speed require the involvement of many muscles.
According to ACE fitness, “Agility training can burn more calories than linear running, which can help you burn more calories during your workout.
When more muscles are involved during exercise, the body requires more oxygen, increasing the amount of energy that is expended.
Reduce the risk of certain types of injuries.
Repetitive movements can lead to tissue fatigue and stress injuries. Specifically in sports, players with higher levels of agility have an athletic advantage during any game or match. They move more efficiently and faster when faced with sudden directional changes or spontaneous obstacles.
In everyday life, improved agility can increase reaction time when slipping on an unstable surface or changing direction quickly to avoid a collision.
According to ACE fitness, “agility training can be effective for strengthening the contractile element of muscle, and improving the resiliency of the elastic fascia and connective tissue.”
Over time it will help to minimize the risk of injuries related to rapid changes of speed or direction.
Good news! It is never too late to start working on this skill. Speed and agility can be developed and enhanced with the right training and hard work. Agility equipment, such as the Smart Modular Agility Ladder, are excellent tools to practice and enhance your overall agility. Constant movement during drills will not only work up a sweat, but build conditioning levels, improve reaction time, and decrease chances of injury.
Check out our full line of speed training products to increase your agility.
